Photo Essay: Superprestige Gavere 2013

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Cant and Harris Lead

Sanne Cant and Nikki Harris ripped down the first muddy descent and into a big lead as the women’s race started, but the race quickly tightened a the leaders bogged down in the muddy wasteland — formerly a cornfield — at the bottom of the course. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Christine Majerus

Luxembourg champion Christine Majerus, who would eventually finish seventh, wrestles her bike on a slippery downhill. What started as soupy mud early in the day became thick and sticky by day’s end, clinging to every surface and weighing both bikes and riders down. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Harris Climbs

The heart of the course in Gavere is dominated by a sweeping descent from the pits that arches left into the race’s steepest climb. British champion Nikki Harris and Belgian champion Sanne Cant handled both descent and climb with aplomb. Other riders weren’t so lucky; more than one left the venue on a stretcher. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Helen Wyman

Helen Wyman, remounting after hiking up a steep, muddy climb, dangled in third for most of the race before passing Nikki Harris to claim second. “I was always so close, almost there but not quite there,” said Wyman. “I don’t know, maybe I didn’t go fast enough in a few sections. But I tried as hard as I could and I always seemed to be at the same distance. I just didn’t seem to be able to close the gap.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Sanne Cant

Sanne Cant drew big cheers as she powered her way to a major win — her second of the weekend and third in three races. “That was punishment, huh?” Cant asked reporters after the Gavere race. “I don’t think I ever won two days in a row before, I really did not expect this. This is a beautiful ’cross, but it’s not normally one for me. I can’t remember ever racing this well here before either.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Josey Weik

Haley was joined by American Josey Weik, who, finished 29th in Gavere. In addition to his Belgian stops, Weik posted a top 10 in Germany and a solid result in the World Cup opener in Valkenburg, Netherlands. Weik and Haley plan to return to Belgium during the busy Kerstperiode at the end of December. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Peeters Wins

Yannick Peeters rode to a convincing win in the juniors race in Gavere. The European champion took nearly a minute out of his nearest competitors before cruising through his final lap on the way to victory. Peeters has not lost a race since late October. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Wout Van Aert

In the under-23 race, Wout Van Aert roared to a 90-second victory, his second of the weekend. In fact, it was a weekend of repeat performances across the board: Sanne Cant, Yannick Peeters, Van Aert, and Sven Nys all posted back-to-back wins at the bpost Bank Trofee race in Hasselt on Saturday and in Gavere on Sunday. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Lars van der Haar

Lars van der Haar shot to an early lead, hitting the mud first on Sunday. The Dutch champion has had a strong showing this year, but simply lacks the diesel that drives older riders like Sven Nys to victory on heavy courses like Gavere. Nys, meanwhile, though he can rarely match the young speedsters early in the race, still produces steady, sustained power that knows few equals. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Klaas Vantornout

Klaas Vantornout used his long stride to his advantage on the muddy track in Gavere. The Belgian champion knows how to suffer and can run well, but neither skill was enough to match Sven Nys and Philipp Walsleben. Vantornout would finish third. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Nys in the Woods

The course in Gavere winds up and down the wooded hillside below a Belgian Army post, constantly twisting back on itself and diving into hidden corners among the trees and bushes. Nonetheless, tracking Sven Nys’ progress around the loop is possible from nearly everywhere: just follow the roar of the crowd. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Early Leaders

By the race’s midpoint, with Nys still trailing, it looked as it if might become a four-way contest between Niels Albert, Klaas Vantornout, Philipp Walsleben, and Lars van der Haar. But an attack by Walsleben soon after Nys bridged the gap to the leaders from deep in the field blew the race open. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Bart Wellens

After missing more than two weeks of racing with a back injury, Bart Wellens returned to action this weekend and posted solid performances. “It was important to do some race pace, since that’s what I’m missing after three weeks,” he told reporters on the finish line. “I feel I can still improve. They are still working plenty on my back.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Jonathan Page

Jonathan Page couldn’t find his rhythm on the muddy slopes in Gavere. Already suffering from a painful cracked rib before the race, Page fell and bloodied his knee on Sunday. He told VeloNews he has simply not yet been able to find the explosive form that carried him through the second half of the season and into a third national championship last year. “I just wasn’t in the bike race today,” he said. “I try to go and the body just won’t go. It’s pretty frustrating.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Kevin Pauwels

Kevin Pauwels, one of the prime protagonists in seasons past, continues to find frustration in nearly every corner. Still winless this season, Pauwels was nonetheless in a good position when he broke his derailleur on Sunday. Forced to run, he yielded more than a minute to the leaders and eventually finished ninth. Though he confidently told reporters, “my time will come,” the pressure to end his winless streak continues to mount. Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Walsleben Attacks

Philipp Walsleben, already in the midst of a breakout season, found himself in position to claim a major victory on Sunday. “The first lap was not so good for me, and I needed a little bit to come into my rhythm,” he said. “But I felt better and better during the race. When Sven joined our group I thought, ‘Now I can go, because now he’s tired.’ That was maybe a chance for me, but he could close the gap to me. Then we were two guys and I knew that he was strong, but I thought I would just keep believing in the victory and I went for the victory.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Bell Lap

Walsleben and Nys rode the final three laps of the race together. Though the German rode defensively in the front, Nys still got the better of him with a surprise attack in the final section of course before the turn onto the road. “[Nys] surprised me a little bit in the last section before the finish,” said Walsleben. “It was a tactic I also thought about yesterday evening, but I didn’t think about it today in the race because I was a little bit tired.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Nys Has It

Sven Nys had plenty to celebrate on Sunday and, after a quick check on Walsleben’s position, plenty of time to do it. “I knew Philipp was really strong in the sprint, so I had to do something in the last half lap,” said Nys. “I put him a little bit under pressure on the climb, but I felt that I was not on my limit, so I waited until after the pits, and thought to myself, ‘Don’t wait until the sprint, but do it in the last sector before.’ And my explosion was strong enough to make the gap.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Superprestige Gavere 2013 - Wellens and the Press

Still suffering from back pain, Bart Wellens was forced to accelerate his return to racing because he is in a tight battle with Jim Aernouts for the final spot on the Belgian squad for the World Cup stop in Koksijde next weekend. Wellens beat Aernouts straight up on Saturday and on Sunday Aernouts left the race early because of a mechanical problem. “It was important for Jim Aernouts to stay ahead because he is also looking for my spot [on the team],” said Wellens. “Today in Gavere he had terrible luck. The selection should be no problem. For now I’m a little bit better, but in a few weeks maybe it will be Jim.” Photo: Dan Seaton | VeloNews.com

Dan Seaton

Dan Seaton has covered European cyclocross since moving from New Hampshire to Belgium in 2008 and has been with VeloNews.com since 2010. Dan has a Ph.D. in physics and spends most of his time as the chief scientist for a spaceborne solar telescope at the Royal Observatory of Belgium. Between solar flares and VeloNews assignments, he still occasionally finds time to race as a masters ’crosser as well. Dan lives with his family in Brussels, Belgium. Follow him on Twitter @dbseaton.